Guwahati:
Protection of Whistleblowers has been a contentious issue for long. In the past, many who tried to expose corruption and the corrupt have faced dire consequences and justice has seldom been a luxury.
Now, even as a Bill has been proposed for the protection of Whistleblowers, one Whistleblower in Guwahati is still fighting to seek reinstatement.
Lakhyajit Deka an Accounts Officer with the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship(IIE) under the Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises lost his job twice because he decided to reveal financial irregularities within the Institute.
In December 2007, just after three months of his joining, he identified voucher manipulation and reported it to the authorities.
His reward for this gesture; first suspension and later termination on charges of fraud.
This time however, the court reinstated him. But that did not put an end to the mental trauma he went through at his work place.
He then reported the case to the CBI and has been waiting for the last eight months for permission to prosecute the Director of the Institute K Ahmed and six of his colleagues.
The audit conducted by the office of the Accountant General also revealed massive financial irregularity.
Deka's service was again terminated.
This time, his organization registered a case of terror links against him in order to deter his conviction.
"After joining within few months I was convinced that there was forgery and corruption in IIE, I approached the CBI and immediately I was terminated twice. I hope CBI will be able to prosecute," says Lakhyajit Deka.
However, the Director of the Institute has denied all allegations and rather accuses Deka of cheating.
"Well in the first place let me tell you that if there is anyone called a whistleblower it is me who is the whistleblower," said K Ahmed, Director IIE.
The CBI's prosecution of the accused may take some more time but till then Lakhyajit Deka fears for his life and needs protection.